Essays on a range of photographic topics by the recently appointed
Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief Curator of Photography at MoMA
Since 1839... offers a selection of essays by the renowned photography
historian Clément Chéroux. Appointed Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief
Curator of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in
2020, Chéroux takes on a variety of topics, from the history of
vernacular photography to the influence of documentary photography on
Surrealism. These texts, newly translated into English and published
together in one volume for the first time, reflect the breadth of
Chéroux's thinking, the rigor of his approach, and his endless curiosity
about photographs.
In this strikingly designed and generously illustrated volume, Chéroux
presents unique case studies and untold stories. He discusses ways of
sharing images, from the nineteenth century to the digital age;
considers the utopian ideals of early photography; and analyzes the
duality of amateur photography. Among other things, he describes the
appeal of photographs snapped from a speeding train and explains
historical value of first-generation prints of photographs. Through an
analysis of key photographs taken on 9/11, Chéroux shows that the same
six images were seen again and again in the press. Widely ranging,
erudite, and engaging, these essays present Chéroux's innovative
investigations of the histories of photography.
